Back On The New Lake

After the joy of winning the winter league on the Old Lake the three matches since then on there had been a struggle for me so I was pleased to be fishing the New Lake for the first time in a good month or so. I had mixed emotions when I drew peg 18, it does have it's days but never when I've sat on it! Still, when I got to the peg I was quite happy to see a few fish moving up the far bank although my one worry was the floating scum in the corner of the lake to my right, which had led to peg 15 being left out. I just had to hope it didn't move!

First up was a pole rig set up to fish at about 16.5m strait in front to the island. I didn't go right up the bank electing to fish in about two and half feet of water just short as I could always go nearer later on. Gear for this was .16 line direct to a 16 B611, with a .2gr DC5 float and a Preston 15h lakky. I also put up a margin rig to fish to my left where there is a bay in the bank. Same line and float as the other rig but using a 14 latex and a wider gape Fox 2 hook as I intended to fish meat here. Depth was about three foot there. Lastly I decided to put up a small method feeder to fish in the small bay on the island just to the right, probably about 18.5m away.

I fed a small pinch of pellet and a few grains of corn across and a good pinch of hemp with a few bits of corn and meat down the edge and then went across on a pellet. I got almost instant liners before the first proper bite after only a few minites got me a crucian of about 10oz. Nothing next put led me to top up a small amount with a Toss-Pot and the liners started again, then I foul-hooked and lost a good fish. This led to a frustrating half an hour where if I didn't feed I got nothing but topping up, in any amount, got loads of liners but no proper bites, either on pellet or corn. With what seemed like a decent amount of fish in front of me I decided to chuck the small method into the bay and just wait for a yank round while I set up a shallow poly-ball rig for the cruising fish. On the first chuck the tip yanked round and a small common of under 2lb found it's way into the net. This led me to give it a few chucks more but again only the frustrations of liner after liner followed.

On the hour mark it was back onto the pole and again liners followed but no proper bites. With so many fish present on the far bank I'd elected not to strike at any dinks and shortened the line above the pole as much as I could and wait for fish to hook themselves, but it didn't happen! Out on the poly-ball rig and it went instantly with double caster but the lift just led to a bow-wave and no fish; I must have just laid the rig onto it's back. With nothing following I elected to feed a half pot of hemp and corn across, hoping that the heavy baits and decent amount would push some fish down while I had a quick drop into the margin which I had topped up after the method fish. This proved to be fruitless (it was a bit early for the margins really!)

With the fruitless margin try out of the way it was back over and an instant bite was met with fresh air! Back in again and no sooner had the bait settled than the elastic pulled out but somehow the fish didn't hook it's self! I wasn't the only one with the problem though as peg 20 to my left was having the same problem. With a fair few fish showing in the bay again the small method went out again and to my astonishment the rod flew round but when I picked it up there was nowt on it! Two proper yanks and no fish in as many chucks! nothing was wrong with either hook too! My lack of practice on the tip recently was showing and after a bit of erratic casting (I had to punch the feeder very flat to get it under the far bank tree's) I threw it up the bank as I'd spent as much time recasting as in the water! It's definitely much easier to chuck accurately to a feature at 25m+ than 18m, even with a 10ft bomb rod!

With the frustrations of the first third of the match it was time for a re-think. I stuck every pole section I had on and plumbed up as close to the bay as I could. With a short extension up the back of the 17.5m section I could just reach the corner of the bay where it was about 2ft deep. (Note: I always use the short 4th on my pole so it's a bit shorter than it sounds, but still probably just over 17m of pole) With the amount of fish present I decided to just drip tiny amounts with the Toss-Pot so after topping up the margin it was across on corn, a task made harder by some of the now drifting scum from the corner being in front. It proved to be worth the work as two quick fish on corn, the first a handy ghostie of about 5lb followed by a 3lb'er led me to believe I'd got it sussed, but then it tailed off!

An annoying spell followed again, no feed meant no bites and feeding meant liners and sharp jabs that I may have been able to hit had I been fishing shorter (or maybe not?) and with the scum on top and awkward light through the trees meant that things were again awkward. Still, from what I'd heard nobody other than peg 27 (golden peg too) was catching, so I was in with a chance. The next hour gave just one fish of 3lb that I foul-hooked lifting the rig plus one lost fish that hooked it's self, charging off and eventually breaking me! With just over an hour to go I noticed some signs of life in the margin so a cube of meat went down the edge and gave an instant response with a 4lb odd mental ghostie finding it's way in but nothing followed.

The last hour was a big frustration, going back across gave an instant 4lb'er but then the sun meant that I couldn't see my float, coupled with floating crud making fishing anywhere awkward. I managed to get back into the margins just before the end and did miss a bite there but I'm not unconvinced it wasn't a liner. Still, with six carp and a crucian it looked as if I'd be second but a long way behind first, and that was true with peg 27 having just over 49lb and my fish going just short of 23lb and 12lb odd I think was good enough for third. Many people had the same sort of day and it seems that after such a cold winter that if the sun comes out now the fish are more interested in catching some rays than eating! The other thing I learnt is that I may have to invest in an elbow pad as I have rather a sore elbow from fishing so long. I guess 16m+ is fine when you have winter layers but it's not so nice when it's just my boney elbow!

Next weekend is the bank holiday Monday pairs match, something I have a decent record in but have never won! With one angler on each lake I always fish the New Lake so it's time for a good think as to how to get those fish to feed (apart from praying for cloud!) I'll let you know how I get on next week!